| "In the year 2000, I stood by the banks of the Bow River in Banff and decided to become a writer," says Jaspreet Singh. "It is wonderful that now, as a writer, I get to stay not far from the same Bow River here in Calgary."
Singh has just moved to Calgary from Montreal to become the 2006-07 Markin-Flanagan Writer-in-Residence at the University of Calgary. Every year, the Markin-Flanagan program brings a promising Canadian writer to Calgary for a 10-month residency, during which they can work on their writing and engage with local writers in manuscript consultations. "The best thing about this residency is that it is not confined to people in the university," says Singh. "Anyone from the city can submit a 10-page manuscript for me to look at."
Singh’s first book, Seventeen Tomatoes: Tales from Kashmir, is a collection of short stories that won the Quebec Writers’ Federation 2004 McAuslan First Book Prize. Much of it was written during his many visits to Banff. "I grew up in the mountains in Kashmir, and when I walk the narrow trails in Banff, those memories come back," Singh says. "In my first book, set in Kashmir, there is a tribute to Banff. I put the army camp on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain, but there is no Sulphur Mountain in Kashmir."
The move to Calgary didn’t come without challenges. "When I moved from India to Montreal, I saw lots of signs that said ‘deux à louer’, ‘trois à louer’, ‘six à louer.’ I didn’t speak French, so I mistakenly thought à louer meant a lover. This left me absolutely bewildered. I could understand two lovers, or even three, but six?" he laughs. "Here in Calgary there has been no confusion at all. I think it’s because there are no signs."
Singh did eventually manage to find an apartment and has begun to settle in. "I’m really looking forward to exploring the city and its life," he says. "There is a Bloomsbury series in which writers write about their eccentric relationships with a city. By the time I leave Calgary, I hope to write about my own eccentric relationship with the city." Leaving Calgary could prove tricky – the past two Markin-Flanagan residents have stayed in the city after their tenure. We’ll have to wait and see if Singh, too, succumbs to Calgary’s charms.
If you’re interested in signing up for a consultation and chatting with Singh about your work, you can contact Janice Lee at leej@ucalgary.ca, or visit www.English.ucalgary.ca/markin for more information.
Singh will join almost 30 other writers, including Laura Cutler, Chris Ewart, Marie Jakober, Barbara Kingscote, Stuart McKay, Bryan Pezzi, Gary Ryan and Christopher Willard, for Calgary’s eighth annual Word on the Street Book and Magazine Fair, running 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Calgary Farmers Market on the old Currie Barracks grounds on September 24. Visit www.thewordonthestreet for more information.
There are a schwack of other events this week, so buckle up for the ride! On September 21, John Ballem will read from his new detective thriller, Victim of Convenience, that is set in oil-happy Calgary. Catch him at McNally Robinson on September 21 at noon.
Keith Maillard presents his Difficulty at the Beginning series this week, a four-volume novel that he calls "the book he was born to write." The politically-charged narrative follows the life of protagonist John Dupre from the late ’50s through to the ’70s, with each volume written in the style of the era. He’ll be at Pages Books on September 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Acclaimed local playwright Clem Martini closes off his young adult trilogy, The Crow Chronicles, with the launch of The Judgement, in which his murder of crows comes to the end of their flight from a decimating plague. There will also be a special staged reading of his new play, The Field, all at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall on September 23 at 2:00 p.m.
Also on the 23rd, the Calgary Multiarts Variety Show brings local musicians, poets, filmmakers and actors together for an evening of artistic mayhem. Included in the lineup are several poets – Shone Abet, James Dangerous, Carmen Derkson, Fred Holliss, Kirk Ramdath, Jocelyn Grossé and Colin Martin – and, since I’ll be hosting part of the event, you can even catch a poem and a special-surprise performance by me! The action kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at the Soda Lounge with a $10 cover charge. Visit www.myspace.com/calgarymultiarts for more info.
It shouldn’t take much to convince you that a storytelling event with Robert Munsch, the bestselling Canadian children’s book author, isn’t to be missed. He’ll be at the Jack Singer Concert Hall (Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts) on September 24 for two performances at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.
Runaway Corey Brinkman is the star of Betty Jane Hegerat’s new book, Running Towards Home. After being transferred between foster homes for most of his life, he’s reluctant to believe these foster parents will be any different than the rest. Hear an excerpt from the novel at McNally Robinson on September 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Tommy Chong, of the acclaimed comedy duo Cheech and Chong, will be in town to sign his new book, I Chong: Meditations from the Joint. The memoir covers his wild and varied life, focusing on his recent stint in prison and the spirituality and good humour that helped him through it. He’ll be waiting for you, pen poised, at Pages Books on September 26 between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.
James Gray was a notorious newspaperman and historian who "could write like hell and was afraid of no one," and his story is told in the new biography by Brian Brennan, How the West was Written: The Life and Times of James H. Gray. Catch up on your history at McNally Robinson on September 26 at 7:00 p.m.
The 26th is a busy day – you can also catch acclaimed author/photographer George Webber with People of the Blood: A Ten-Year Photographic Journey, that documents the people and setting of Canada’s largest native reserve, The Blood Reserve. He’ll be at the John Dutton Theatre in the W.R. Castell Central Library at 7:30 p.m.
Richard Wagamese’s latest novel, Dream Wheels, follows a late-1800s family from Wild West shows to the Las Vegas National Finals Rodeo. He reads at McNally Robinson on September 27 at 7:00 p.m.
And finally (phew!), Andrew Nikiforuk reads from his latest book, which requires little explanation – Pandemonium: Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease and Other Biological Plagues of the 21st Century. It should be a disease-ridden good time at the W.R. Castell Central Library on September 27 at 7:30 p.m. |
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